One of several 1978 films dealing with the Vietnam War (including Hal Ashby's Oscar-winning Coming Home), Michael Cimino's epic second feature The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal of the war's effect on… MoreOne of several 1978 films dealing with the Vietnam War (including Hal Ashby's Oscar-winning Coming Home), Michael Cimino's epic second feature The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal of the war's effect on American working class steel workers and notorious for its ahistorical use of Russian roulette in the Vietnam sequences. Structured in five sections contrasting home and war, the film opens in Clairton, PA, as Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stan (John Cazale, in his last film) celebrate the wedding of their friend Steve (John Savage) and go on a final deer hunt before the men leave for Vietnam. Mike treats hunting as a test of skill, lecturing Stan about the value of "one shot" deer slaying and brushing off Nick's urgings to appreciate nature's beauty. As Mike ruminates post-hunt, the film cuts to the horror of Vietnam, where the men are captured by Vietcong soldiers who force Mike and Nick to play Russian roulette for the V.C.'s amusement. Mike turns the game to his advantage so they can escape captivity, but the men are permanently scarred by the episode. Steve loses his legs; Nick vanishes in the Saigon Russian roulette parlors. Mike returns alone to Clairton a changed man, as he rejects the killing of the deer hunt and finds solace with Nick's old girlfriend Linda (Meryl Streep). Disgusted by the antics of his male cohorts at home, Mike decides to bring Steve back from a veterans' hospital, and he returns to Saigon to find Nick. As Saigon falls, Mike discovers how far gone Nick is; the survivors gather in Clairton for a funeral breakfast, singing an impromptu rendition of "God Bless America."

Consensus:
Its greatness is blunted by its length and one-sided point of view, but the film's weaknesses are overpowered by Michael Cimino's sympathetic direction and a series of heartbreaking performances from Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken.

Pauline Kael

New Yorker

It has no more moral intelligence than the Clint Eastwood action pictures, yet it's an astonishing piece of work, an uneasy mixture of violent pulp and grandiosity, with an enraptured view of common life -- poetry of the commonplace.

In trying to measure the devastating impact of Vietnam on the lives of three American soldiers, Cimino brings home the true horror of that senseless conflict in a way that the 6 O'Clock News never could.

Cimino is a great director who takes his time in a long, careful first act before throwing his characters inside a terrifically tense, gut-wrenching second act… MoreCimino is a great director who takes his time in a long, careful first act before throwing his characters inside a terrifically tense, gut-wrenching second act that makes us deeply consider the tragic effects of war on veterans, with Walken and De Niro in spectacular performances.

Lucas Martins

The Deer Hunter, could sometimes, present boring scenes, but the tension in this dramatic film, with a great Michael Cimino's direction, original story and… MoreThe Deer Hunter, could sometimes, present boring scenes, but the tension in this dramatic film, with a great Michael Cimino's direction, original story and unforgettable actings, make this war drama, one of the best movies about the Vietnam war.

paul oh

Its running time versus its story are conflicting but in the end provides a strong portrayal of the Vietnam War.

Dean McKenna

Three captured American GIs held prisoner in Vietnam are forced to play against one another in a bloody game of Russian roulette. Under duress, one of them puts… MoreThree captured American GIs held prisoner in Vietnam are forced to play against one another in a bloody game of Russian roulette. Under duress, one of them puts a gun to his head, nervously pulls the trigger, and hears only the click of an empty chamber.
This harrowing scene from <i>The Deer Hunter</i> is one of the high points of a flawed but engrossing story about war and the mystique of male friendship. It won three major Oscars, including Best Picture. At the same time, it triggered strong negative feelings.
This is not to say it is a bad movie. Director Michael Cimino has filmed a moving, if loosely edited, story tracing the evolution of the relationships of three blue-collar workers and the women families, and friends they left behind.
This drama film's Southwest Asian scenery was beautiful. But there was a tradeoff. Cimino could not see daily rushes. The country's political affairs were volatile, and there were frequent reports of an impending military coup. So he worked in expectation that the film would be confiscated if authorities learned of its sensitive nature. Knowing this, he shot from many angles because he realised he would not have a second chance.
For each of the three main characters, the war has changed them greatly, and none for the better. Robert De Niro is great, but the stand out here is Christopher Walken, who accurately takes his role and makes it into something memorable. And Meryl Streep brings a wonderful supporting performance as beautiful when she was young.

Mark Walker

"You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they… More"You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen"
Released in 1978, only three years after the official end of the Vietnam war, Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter" seemed as if it may have been too soon for the American psyche. It was a surprising box-office hit but was also one of the most controversial, major theatrical releases about America's involvement in the war. It went on to receive 9 Academy Award nominations (winning 5 - including Best Picture and Best Director). Despite this, the backlash was pretty vehement. It received criticism from the likes of Jane Fonda and John Wayne who in his last public appearance had to present it with it's Best Picture award even though he wasn't fond of the film. These criticisms came in many forms but for as many critics as it's had, there were also a great number who considered it to be another American classic.
Michael (Robert DeNiro), Stevie (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) are among a group of friends who live and work in the steel mill town of Clairton, Pennsylvania. They spend their time getting drunk and going deer hunting before they are enlisted in the airborne infantry of Vietnam. What was once a slow-paced and fun-filled life is shoved into the stark reality of warfare and how their experiences change their lives forever.
Clocking in at just over three hours, "The Deer Hunter" is a film of length. However, it's one that never overstays it's welcome as Cimino wisely works within a three act structure - book-ending the war with marriage and death. He may take his time and linger long on shots but it never gets boring. To view it as simply another Vietnam film is to entirely miss the point also. If it is to be viewed in any way, it should be as a commentary on American disillusionment and it's loss of innocence at this time. It's intention is not focus on the war itself but on the aftermath and the impact war can have on the lives of ordinary working people. In fact, the scenes that take place in Vietnam only amount to a very small portion of the film, overall. Ultimately, it's a character study that's only heightened by the 50 minute wedding sequence at the beginning of the film. Many grumble about this being too indulgent but it's integral that we get to know these characters in order to fully understand them. It's during the wedding reception that they come across a Green Beret who has just finished his Tour of Duty; they buy him a drink and take offence when all he has to tell them about the war is... "Fuck it!". This perfectly sums up the naivete of these young men as they seem to have a romanticised idea of war and have absolutely no idea of what is to become them.
Following this, a bunch of them go on a deer hunting trip where we again see the dynamic of the group and get to know each of them more personally. Suddenly, we are then thrust into the chaos of Vietnam and it's not before long that the films iconic and controversial Russian roulette scene takes place. This is a scene that has received much criticism in not only being claimed as inaccurate - as there was no evidence to suggest that any such atrocities took place during the conflict - but for being racist in it's sadistic stereotype of the Viet Cong captors. These criticisms are justifiable to an extent but, personally, I think the critics have taken it far too literally. If viewed as a metaphor for the senselessness of war and the inhumanity of man during wartime struggles then it's entirety fitting to the films themes and says more about an initiation into manhood. It was literally minutes before this powerful scene that DeNiro's Michael and Walken's Nick were discussing how a deer should be killed with "one shot" and now (ironically) they must face a similar fate. This game of chance is the catalyst that changes the dynamic of the three principle characters (the other being John Savage's Stevie) and further adds to the character development that was so playfully and innocently displayed in the opening wedding sequence or the camaraderie of the deer hunt. It's purpose is not to be racist but to capture the extreme pressure that soldiers face in conflict. In the film's final act, some of them return home only to realise that they're traumatised as they struggle to fit back into society. There have been claims that it doesn't take an overly pro or anti stance towards the conflict but I struggle to see how. This was one was of the first films to challenge the perspective on Vietnam. The likes of "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" were praised for such honesty and I believe this deserves the same credibility.
"The Deer Hunter" is, undoubtedly, epic filmmaking and despite your political interpretation, there's no denying the power of it's emotionally devastating narrative. It's unlikely that Cimino will be able to deliver a work of this magnitude ever again. He tried and failed in 1980 with "Heaven's Gate" (bankrupting United Artists Studio in the process) but his scope and ambition here deserves the utmost respect. So too does the work of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond for his astounding ability to capture both the expansive landscapes of Pennsylvania and the war ravaged mountainous villages of Vietnam. The actors are also very strong and committed throughout. This would be the last performance of the great John Cazale - before his untimely death to cancer - and the first notable one from Meryl Streep, who brings a touching vulnerability to her supporting role. Walken (who won a Supporting Actor Oscar) is a marvel and deservedly made a name for himself in the process. As good as they are, though, it's DeNiro who anchors the film in a enigmatic display of stoicism. Another deserved Oscar nomination came his way and even though this is a film that many omit from DeNiro's plethora of magnificent performances throughout the 70's and 80's, it happens to be one of his strongest and most unsung. DeNiro apparently described his role as one of the most physical and exhausting that he's ever done, and it's easy to see why. Every emotional, physical and mental abuse that he seems to be suffering is perfectly and gruellingly displayed onscreen.
The 1970's are well known for producing some of the finest experiences in cinema and "The Deer Hunter" can, proudly, consider itself one of one them. It's marvellously structured, harrowingly vivid and so grand and ambitious that it thoroughly deserves it's epic status. Truly one of the best of it's decade.
Mark Walker

Kase Vollebregt

Michael Cimino's Vietnam classic is a bit overlong and a bit under-stuffed, but no one can deny the power of this classic. The acting is generally good,… MoreMichael Cimino's Vietnam classic is a bit overlong and a bit under-stuffed, but no one can deny the power of this classic. The acting is generally good, but the true terror of the Russian Roulette scenes are vivid and shocking. Not merely a story about a war, but a story about people in war. War with others and war with themselves. Cimino's classic survives to this day.

Cassie Hill

Beyond amazing. Robert De Niro was amazing as usual. This movie showed you that you can go from having the time of your life to having shit. How the war can… MoreBeyond amazing. Robert De Niro was amazing as usual. This movie showed you that you can go from having the time of your life to having shit. How the war can mess you up, forget who you are, and who your friends are. A young Meryl Streep in this movie. Meryl was excellent, as she always is in film roles. I will most definitely watched this movie more in years to come.

Tim Salmons

Well, to be perfectly honest, this isn't one of the greatest films ever made. However, I can see why some might feel that way. There are some absolutely… MoreWell, to be perfectly honest, this isn't one of the greatest films ever made. However, I can see why some might feel that way. There are some absolutely amazing performances and some great themes running through it that get right into you. Unfortunately, all of that is hampered by the film's length. Some might argue that spending an enormous amount of time with these characters before they go to war affects how we connect with them during and after the war. To some degree, that's true, but I feel like there is entirely way too much time spent with them. Things just take far longer than they should, giving a droning effect, wherein I just wanted the film to move on. If it weren't for the riveting Russian Roulette scenes and the powerful performances by the great cast, this film probably wouldn't have had half the impact that it had OR won the amount of Oscars that it did - but that's just my opinion.

Adam Kelly

Whilst its running length may annoy some, "The Deer Hunter" and Michael Cimino provides viewers with the most gut-wrenching and harrowing examination… MoreWhilst its running length may annoy some, "The Deer Hunter" and Michael Cimino provides viewers with the most gut-wrenching and harrowing examination of the Vietnam War, and most importantly its affects on the lives of individuals.
Set across many years, the film is split into very defined sections or three acts, with one hour given over to the characters and their normal lives back in the US, the second to the war in Vietnam, and the third to the years after the war. After struggling for funding for the three hour epic screenplay, a British studio, EMI, finally got the film rolling and the cast together for this brutal war film.
The film tells the story of three men, and their friends, who take part in the Vietnam war. After one is married, Steven, played as like all the cast beautifully by John Savage, the other two, one a hunter of deer, Robert De Niro, and the other Christopher Walken, they leave for Vietnam and the film follows the war itself and the after effects.
Whilst the screenplay and film itself combine to make a long film, it's well worth the wait. The picture itself is slow, the characters slow moving, and the action steady and events slow one by one. However amongst the slowness of the film, every member of the cast gives a slow but beautiful performance.
Robert De Niro is riveting as the leading member of the gang of three, leading the film in the direction the director set out to do, and capturing the spirit of his horrified and somewhat soul rotted character perfectly. But each member of the cast performs their role wonderfully too, with John Savage's drained character of Steven, reflecting his injuries, and Christopher Walken's sunken and out of reality face and feel.
The supporting cast also give fantastic performances, with Meryl Streep as Linda, in one of her finest roles, and John Cazale in his last ever film role, and perhaps his most provoking one.
The action scenes themselves are not particularly special, but the Russian roulette scenes are what really stand out, with the intensity of the actors and set, stretching across, through the screen, onto any viewer. In the Russian roulette scenes, Cimino shows us his best, as we are literally taken into the middle of the games with the other characters and flung headfirst into uncertainty, panic and desperation.
But the real achievement of this film, is the study in human emotion and character, when such horrors of war are flung upon them, and how it affects not only them, but the people they know and love. At the 1979 Oscars, it was filled with controversy and its portrayal of the war, which had only ended a few years earlier, but in the end, the film's terrible, horrific study of human individual lives following the Vietnam war, will ensure its status as a classic war film and classic motion picture.

Jack Hawkins

A sprawling epic of three hours, 'The Deer Hunter' is a striking, moving film. It focuses on a group of working class men who live in Clairton,… MoreA sprawling epic of three hours, 'The Deer Hunter' is a striking, moving film. It focuses on a group of working class men who live in Clairton, Pennsylvania; which whilst is an industrial town, is a pretty and tranquil part of the world. However, this is strictly the film's depiction of Clairton; it was actually shot in various locations across Ohio. These men have firm working class sentiments, they work in the steel factory together and, once their shifts are over, drop by the local bar to shoot pool and have a few drinks; this is the men's comfortable existences, however their lives are soon to be turned upside down. The men are called to serve their country in Vietnam, where they are to be subjected to an array of abhorrence that will change them forever.
It is a striking film in every sense. John Williams' score, the acoustic 'Cavatina', is blissful; it complements every scene it features in. Its sequences of natural beauty and Clairton life are starkly juxtaposed in the film's second act: the infamous Russian roulette scene. It is acted with truly remarkable conviction; the actors must have forced themselves into an unpleasant place to produce such harrowing realism. The scene is so visceral and intense that it creates a disturbed silence amongst an audience; even its biggest critics would have to try very hard not to be affected by it.
Normally a critically acclaimed film, 'The Deer Hunter' hasn't been devoid of criticism. It has been labelled melodramatic, and it does indeed have its maudlin moments, I agree, but it has also been accused of being 'racist'. It may be a one sided account of the war and I appreciate it was released during sensitive times shortly after the war, but I do not agree. Does a film have to cover every aspect of an event? Does it have to cover every perspective? Of course not. 'The Deer Hunter' reflects one case: one group of men and their exposure to a small group of sadistic belligerents. Some say the depiction of the Vietcong is racist, but as rational, informed adults, I think we're all aware that the film isn't suggesting that all Vietcong were like this. We realise that atrocities similar to those seen in the film are committed by both parties in times of war; to proclaim that the film is trying to tell us otherwise is false and preachy. I concede that the majority of the Vietnamese are, to understate somewhat, portrayed unscrupulously, but the extent of one's criticism should be that the characterisation is flat, certainly not racist. Additionally, there are those who moan about how there were no cases of Russian roulette documented over the course of the Vietnam War; it's just an artist using his licence, you pedants. If you're so bothered by 'The Deer Hunter', if you yearn for fair portrayal, balance it out by watching Oliver Stone's vitriolic 'Born on the Fourth of July', which is a scathing attack on the United States' behaviour in Vietnam and their military and political ethos.
Returning to another popular comment; I do concede its melodrama, especially during a scene where the American National Anthem is sung in unison: far too gushing and American. However, overall, any flaw is completely pushed aside by its ensemble cast, its aural and visual impact and its ability to keep your attention for 180 minutes and leave a lasting impression on you.

Graham Jones

Amazing film. Top 5 all-time for sure. Amazing performances and how the vibe of the film changes is incredible. It's like 3 or 4 films in one. On first… MoreAmazing film. Top 5 all-time for sure. Amazing performances and how the vibe of the film changes is incredible. It's like 3 or 4 films in one. On first view ofcourse the POW camp scenes are the most memorable but on repeat viewings the beginning of the film (going away party, etc.) is the real gem. Real human life is rarely captured on film.

Kevin M. Williams

Drinking and gambling buddies from small town working class America go overseas and interact with Vietnamese drinking and gambling buddies and are quite a bit… MoreDrinking and gambling buddies from small town working class America go overseas and interact with Vietnamese drinking and gambling buddies and are quite a bit shocked by the difference between them. The Russian roulette scene with DeNiro and Walken dead in the middle of the film is big time FIREWORKS.